No one enjoyed Elphaba's dark moods. When she sank into such a gloomy pit of unresponsive contemplation it was like waiting for a bomb to go off. An emotional explosion was imminent, but you could never quite know exactly when such a thing would occur. Glinda cast nervous glances between her green friend and Boq while Fiyero warily held his brooding wife's hand. Selky shuffled her feet anxiously, waiting for someone to say something. The silence was just getting oppressive when Elphaba spoke. Everyone winced, expecting a shout to come tearing out of her curled lips. They were pleasantly surprised when her words were only a gentle command. "Fiyero please tell Chistery to send a scout to the Great Gilikin Forest whenever it's convenient," the green woman said softly. "Tell him the Wizard has apparently returned to Oz and we need to locate him as soon as possible." Selky's jaw dropped. She'd never heard her mother give such an easygoing command. Heck, she's never heard Elphaba use 'please' in a command. What was going on?
"Fae, are you ok?" the Winkie wondered.
"Of course I'm ok," Elphaba sighed, getting to her feet. "I've just got a lot to sort out in my head." She looked around the small gathering of people in her sitting room. "Let's all get to bed; it's been a long night." Glinda cast her friend a concerned look as she passed on her way out. Her expression clearly stated 'we will discuss this later'. Boq gave Fiyero an uneasy 'good luck weathering this storm' glance. Selky hugged her parents tightly and moved towards the exit. "Selky you and I will talk at a more decent hour," Elphaba called after her. "We can't leave those things you said to fester." The exhausted teenagers sighed, shoulders slumping.
"I know," she grumbled, escaping into the hallway before any more mandates could be issued. The green woman moved towards her and Fiyero's bedroom, eyes still oddly subdued.
"What's really upsetting you Fae?" the captain of the Gale Force pressed. "That stormy expression is making me nervous."
"I've just got a lot to think about," Elphaba insisted, casually slipping into her nightclothes. "There's no disguising the fact that sooner or later I will have to speak with the Wizard. Finding the rights words for such an encounter is exceedingly difficult."
"I've never known you to be at a loss for words," Fiyero chuckled, wrapping his arms around her from behind. "Do you need a distraction?"
"I've got a meeting at sunrise," the green girl reminded him sharply. "And my eyelids are already drooping." She was met with a pouting Winkie. "Don't give me that look!"
"What look?"His eyes widened innocently.
"That look," she reiterated, glaring. "Now shove off and get ready for bed."
"Yes sir," Fiyero chortled.
***
Glinda felt nervous. All day a creepy suspicion had been wriggling its way up her delicate spine. Now, even as she lay safely in the arms of her husband, the blonde couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching her. Not like a guardian angel, more like a stalker. She shuddered, trying to push away such notions. Who would be watching her here? It was absurd and paranoid to even consider such things. Yet consider she did and her mind twisted such considerings into frightening dreams that night.
***
Oscar Greentown had expected to awake in a jail cell. However this wasn't a prison but a well furnished suite reminiscent of the one he'd enjoyed at the Emerald Palace. A fire roared in the hearth and breakfast was waiting at a fine quoxwood table. Such accommodations seemed odd for a dictator such as himself. "Hello your Wizardship." Glinda's voice came from a chair near the fire. Her eyes were hard and calculating, as if reformulating her opinion of the man she'd known for so long.
"It's nice to see you again Miss Upland," Oscar replied with a slight bow. He thought it best to return to the formality of titles.
"You may call me Mrs. Upland or Your Goodness," the blonde woman informed him sharply, her lips thin. "But Miss Upland was a name I used in my naive days as a figurehead."
"Who's the lucky man?" the Wizard wondered, trying to change the subject to something happier.
"Boq," Glinda told him, eyes shining. "You'd know him as the Tin Man. Apparently there's a tradition in Munchkin Land that the man takes the woman's last name. It makes no difference to me."
"Congratulations," Oscar said warmly.
"I didn't come here for congratulations Mr. Greentown," the good witch chirped. It was almost frightening to see a bubbly woman like Glinda so openly hostile and tart. Somehow her refined anger equaled the terror of Elphaba's unabashed wrath. "I came here to discuss Lady Elphaba. You should know that she is deeply conflicted about speaking with you. That tends to happen when facing a man who tried to have you killed. Of course she is noble enough to put that behind her and give you…Not a clean slate but perhaps a chance at redemption."
"That's all I ask," the Wizard assured her earnestly. "I just want to tell her how very sorry I am."
"Good," Glinda said, turning to leave. "It may take awhile, Lady Elphaba is very busy at the moment but she will find time for you eventually." As the good witch twisted the doorknob she turned and let the hostile formalities slip away, allowing the Wizard to feel the full power of her vengeful eyes. When furious Glinda resembled some sort of demonic doll and it was clear that, no matter what the green woman's feelings were, her blonde friend still harbored a great deal of resentment towards the Wizard. "I want you to know that Elphie is doing a very noble thing in even granting you an audience," the petite woman hissed. "It would be understandable if she threw you in the dungeon to rot." There was a pause and the good witch collected herself with a deep breath. Her eyes bored into Oscar's. "If you say or do anything that might at all hurt Elphie I will personally see to it that you spend the rest of your sorry life hanging from the top of the Emerald Palace by your toes." And with that she strode out in a blonde tornado of silky fabric.
***
"I saw that look." Zamzam accused, breezing past Selky on her way to the dining hall. Somehow the raven haired teenager had managed to avoid discussing their argument for the rest of the weekend. Now she was back at school trying to ignore the brooding but gorgeous quadling a few feet away. His name was Loxin and most of the students seemed to be wary of his dangerously dark eyes and odd ruddy skin. Of course that was exactly why Selky found him so interesting. She saw him glaring out from beneath that exquisite shock of shiny black hair and was immediately curious…and attracted.
"What look?" the surly girl wondered innocently, quickly averting her gaze.
"You're making eyes at that Loxin kid," Zamzam pressed. "Don't lie to me; I saw you."
"I think you need to get your eyes checked."
"I think you need to ask him out."
"No!" Selky recoiled from that very thought. "I'm a crude schoolgirl who wears shabby dresses and he's…"
"A dangerous bad boy?" Zamzam supplied, her tone running rampant with mischief.
"That's one way of putting it," Selky sighed. "He'd never give me the time of day."
"Come on!" Zamzam insisted. "You're Lady Elphaba's daughter. That's got to carry some weight. If you're worried about your looks well…just ask Curyn to give you a makeover or something."
"Like she'd do that," the raven haired girl snorted.
"I thought you were tutoring her," Zamzam chirped, suddenly confused.
"I am," Selky assured her. "But that doesn't mean we're friends."
"Well ask for it as a favor then. Bargain with her; you're good at that."
"Well maybe I will," the raven haired teen replied evasively, the cogs already turning in her brain.
Sorry it was plotless…I know I keep saying it but there WILL be action in the coming chapters…there's just some other stuff I've got to work in first…please don't give up on this story; you will be in for an epic adventure…eventually